Nine tramps ignored the rainy forecast and 60-degree weather, and met at the starting point at the Waterville Post Office. As the time to leave approached, the skies opened up and we ran to our cars to start our drive down route 12 to Sherburne. By the time we arrived, the rain had let up and we were able to light up the charcoal, cook our hot dogs and hamburgers, and enjoy a picnic lunch. Although the grey skies continued, we were able to hike the trails of Rogers Environmental Center with only a minimal, intermittent drizzle. The usually abundant turtles were nowhere to be seen, although some sharp-eyed tramp did spot the head of one peeking out of the water. Beautiful purple, white, and yellow wildflowers, along with the fragrant aroma of various flowering bushes made the hike quite enjoyable. As we made our way back to the pavilion where we had left our coolers, cooking utensils, and left-overs, we saw a crow attacking a bag of taco chips that had been left on a table. It was closed, but the crow had ripped the bag and was enjoying his unexpected treat. A red squirrel was watching him closely, waiting for his chance to snatch up some of the pickings. We chased both of them off. Luckily, we had securely covered all the other goodies and were able to have a snack before we called it a day. One of our hikers, Greg Perez, completed his fifth hike and another, Donna Wester, who is also a geocacher, was able to find eight caches. It was a successful day for all.

-by Mike & Janice Huss